Zack Greinke, Michael Young look to greener pastures in NL
- Moving to one of the majors' best pitcher's parks, Zack Greinke should be a top-10 fantasy pitcher
This was one free-agent signing that seemed inevitable. The team with the most money to spend -- the Los Angeles Dodgers -- used it to land the best pitcher on the market, Zack Greinke.
From a fantasy standpoint, Greinke picked a great place to land. Dodger Stadium ranked 25th out of the 30 major league parks in promoting scoring, and the Dodgers have the potential to be quite good defensively with the likes of 1B Adrian Gonzalez, CF Matt Kemp and LF Carl Crawford, among others.
But mostly, Greinke's success on the mound will depend on his own ability to -- as he famously said when he won the 2009 AL Cy Young Award -- "keep my FIP as low as possible."
But since that magical 2009 season, Greinke's actual stats haven't been as impressive as his peripherals. He did post a combined 15-5 record and 3.48 ERA with the Brewers and Angels last season. Greinke's strikeout rate suffered a bit with the move in July to the American League, but returning to the NL with the Dodgers should give him a lift -- and put him in position for a third straight 200-strikeout season.
There's always the possibility Greinke could put everything together the way he did in 2009, but the transition to a yet another new team should keep those expectations somewhat in check. He should still be a top-10 fantasy pitcher, but he'll be playing second fiddle to teammate Clayton Kershaw ... which, come to think of it, just may be an excellent recipe for success.
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Meanwhile, infielder Michael Young faced being phased out this season in Texas, even though he's the franchise's all-time leader in hits -- and several other categories.
After several days of deliberations, the 36-year-old Young agreed to accept a trade to the Philadelphia Phillies so he could take over the job as their starting third baseman. Young still makes consistent contact, but he doesn't hit for enough power anymore to be a starter there in most fantasy leagues.
After leading the AL with 213 hits in 2011 and driving in a career-high 106 runs, Young's production fell off considerably last season. His average dropped 61 points to .277 and with eight home runs, his slugging percentage fell to a career-low .370 -- in one of the best hitter's parks in the majors no less. Don't expect those trends to reverse in Philadelphia.
Where Young can help fantasy owners is with his versatility. He played 41 games at first base, 25 at third and 16 at second for the Rangers last season (in addition to another 72 at DH). Playing every day in a lineup dominated by left-handed hitters should set him up the best way possible for success. But Young's name seems like an oxymoron with Father Time already sapping him of his most fantasy-worthy skills.